LapNYC

Today spinning class and a shoulder workout. Tomorrow spinning, back and triceps. Sorry about the foot! Injuries have always interfered with any great exercise momentum I've had in the past. Make sure you don't let that happen! I've learned my lesson a thousand times.

Indeed brag away! That's a helluva lotta weight. Big congratulations to you!

You look amazing! What an accomplishment. So glad to read that the band continues to do its thing a few years down the road.

Oh no. What a profound loss. I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine.

Amy, I might actually disagree. I'm confident and secure and not easily intimidated, especially by store clerks since in theory they want my business, especially in this economy. I'm not sure I've been blatantly snubbed but even with my I-grew-up-in-this-town confidence and familiarity, I've gotten the subtle impression that people working in high end stores didn't think that I was going to be a big spender. I think that people assume that overweight people are poor and uneducated. Long way of saying, it's not ALL in the attitude.

Congratulations! It's quite a milestone.

What was the date of your surgery? February 1, 2010 How healthy did you/do you eat? Was somewhat healthy before but ate like a truck driver. Now high protein, no junk, need to get in more veggies. How much do you exercise? A ton. A really intense hour or more a day. How much have you lost? 80 lbs Are you happy with your results? Yes! I'm anxious to be done with it though, get the tummy tuck and call it a day.

I was on the bus about six months ago with my three kids. We were sitting near the front because we weren't going to be on the bus for long. A woman got on wearing a boot--the kind you wear for a few months after having surgery or something. She didn't have crutches or a cane. She was just walking in the boot and I'd say she was about 50 or so. I moved my bag so that she could sit next to me if she wanted and she said that I was taking up some of the next seat because I was too fat and that I needed to stand up for her. There were PLENTY of other seats on the bus and this woman wasn't 'real' handicapped or anything. She said this in front of my kids and clearly my being overweight just bothered her. My mere existence was annoying. It was horrible because my kids were really confused and I didn't even know how to react. I ended up standing up and telling my kids that some people are angry at the world because they don't have any friends or have sad lives and take it out on the wrong people. I needed to "punish" her in some way and the other riders were definitely on my side. I have to admit, it still stings. I give my seat to any pregnant woman and older person under the sun. In this scenario I deserved to sit down as much as the next person. It is very strange to me now that I can slide into a seat next to an overweight person. I do my best to be nice and smiley about it.

If I chew well I can eat absolutely everything except for eggplant.

I take Nature's Way chewable biotin. I serving (1 lozenge) gives you 1000mcg which is 333% the daily recommended value. That said, although my hair looks fine (I think because it's straight and fine so it gets fuller during the summer), I do notice that I'm shedding far more than usual. I think I ordered these from Amazon. GL!

I'd agree with your trainer, Sandradee. It's that set to failure where your muscles really grow. I've had enough trainers that I know my way around weights, but that failure is hard to achieve without someone pushing or spotting you. I'm jealous! I bet you'll see results really quickly. I've been taking really intense spinning classes every day where my heartrate monitor says that I'm burning 500 calories in each. I've also lifted weights about three times but am at a total plateau. I know I need to mix it up exercise-wise but I can't think of anything nearly as intense as the spinning. I'm not a runner! Which is clearly too bad because I read an article today about how with cycling you burn carbs and with running you burn through fat. Sucks for me! Any suggestions anyone? Congratulations on everyone's success and hard work.

I was just where you are for a good, long while. It was great! I suddenly find myself stalled and am going to go in for a fill but while I was steadily losing there was no way I was going to give up eating fruits and vegetables and gulping water. It was the best of all worlds. Enjoy!

I think you'll do really well because you're young, have discipline when you set your mind to it and are a "loser". I wish you had described what the hesitation was about. The surgery is quite minor. The only thing to "dread" would be the pre-op diet and bandster hell (do a search). After that it's smooth sailing, for the most part. I've lost 80 pounds in five months, if that helps you. Being nervous isn't a sign from the gods or anything. It's normal! Don't analyze it too much. Just start your diet and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Amazing! I think I could pick you up with one hand! Congratulations on your great success.

Wow! That's some pretty impressive and speedy weight loss. Congratulations! I always have to ask...any tips? Tricks of the trade you've employed? Meals that always work for you? Very happy for you and your great success!

I eat tons of soup, including tomato soup that has nothing chunky about it. For whatever reason I find it to be satiating. So...I eat it! You just have to see how it fits into your program by trial and error. One poster on another thread said that her doctor told her she had to eat soup with a fork, which I find to be particularly crazy. Soup is a good, easy way to get vegetables in and to go out with friends without having to explain your life away.

The second fill did the trick. I forget what it is exactly. 5 point something in a 10cc band. Went from ravenously being able to eat anything to very nice restriction while still being able to get anything down.

I don't happen to be particularly stressed about anything and I've gotten two just recently. I've never had a cold sore or anything like this before. My dental hygenist suggested it might be a Vitamin K deficiency which would suggest eating more leafy greens. Both this and the foot/toe/calf cramps I get at night are diet related. I wish I had someone to analyze my diet. If you get anymore insight let me know!

I didn't believe it either. I could eat everything under the sun and plenty of it. Until fill number two which was months ago and is still going strong. It was like magic!

I should have just prayed instead of getting this silly lapband!

I religiously follow the no drinking rule unless I'm out to dinner with friends. My husband gets the rule treatment, but if I have to fake it (meaning not having anyone guess that I have a band) I drink wine with dinner and totally enjoy myself. I think I have decent restriction but for whatever reason I can do this no problem. That's an important thing to note. The band is a fickle thing and the way you feel varies day to day and person to person. No two experiences are alike so there's really no predicting what you'll be like. My advice for now would be not to overthink this. The liquid diet and bandster hell are no joke, but the not drinking water with dinner isn't a big deal (to most). Good luck!

My overly ambitious goals while the kids are in camp are: Four spinning classes per week Weight train upper body three times per week Stretching and a little abs every time I go to the gym Try and go to bed before midnight every night Good luck to all!

You've been banded longer than I have so I'm sure sure that I don't have any real wisdom that you don't have already. If it were me I'd cut some carbs (within reason) and up the exercise intensity. In the early going walking is enough but the bar gets higher as time goes on as you well know. Unless you have injuries I'd start running or spinning or something that leaves you hyperventilating, rather than enjoying the scenery. If there already is some pep in your step, I'd eat some more fish, drink some more Water, get some more sleep and hope that this too shall pass!

Sign me up! It's so hard to imagine what weight loss will look like down the pike a little. I'm at 210 now so I'll go with 35 lbs, taking me to 175. I can't imagine weighing that. It would be almost criminal! p.s. I sorted the sheet alphabetically, just for ease of use. I hope that's ok! Happy to undo.

Congratulations on all those victories. The knees knocking at night sounds like a pain actually. I'm not bleeding for you though! I agree about the crossing legs thing. I used to hate sitting there like a linebacker with everyone else in their cute skinny jeans with their legs crossed and wrapped around each other 17 times. I'm nowhere close to that, but I can cross the suckers. Betsy I had to laugh about the cuff of the pant grab. I definitely know that one. Indeed the boobs are the sacrificial weight loss thing. Small price to pay. I nursed three kids for three years (total, not each!) and only had a giant hunk of fat standing between me and my skinny friends' saggy boobs anyway. I wish it were possible to just get a lift instead of a lift and implants, but it sounds like that's just kind of the deal. But I digress. I still can't fit my engagement and wedding rings on, but I'm thinking that might have as much to do with the weather and the humidity. My feel haven't changed either and I wish they would. They're so wide and not cute! I'm still hot all the time and whiny about that, but I think that just might be who I am, fat or not. I do see collarbones and if I recall, I had some good ones. I used to lift weights a lot in the past so it's not taking long to get some muscle back, although I see that the skin on my arms and legs is unfamiliarly loose. Hopefully some more pumping Iron will change that. I need to try and take a bath again. If I don't feel like a beached whale in two inches of Water I'll praise jesus. And I'm Jewish. Funnily, I can't point to too many things, but I think that was always part of my problem. I didn't notice myself gaining a hundred pounds, so why should I notice myself losing it either? I need my trusty scale to remind me that this is really happening. Don't get me wrong though. I'm as thrilled as the next guy!